This recipe is really straightforward, delicious and you don’t need any equipment, you can mix all the ingredients in one bowl with a spoon, whisk, or spatula, and bake it, that’s it! The recipe calls for buttermilk to make it a little softer and you can always go the extra mile by separating the egg whites and whipping them together until almost a meringue and gently folding them at the end of the preparation before adding the blueberries; this extra step will add extra air to the mix and make it a little more fluffy and airy but is not necessary, your loaf will come out pretty fluffy and tasty either way. This recipe is perfect for beginners and kids and is basically foolproof; just mix, bake and enjoy!
In case you don’t have buttermilk in hand, don’t worry, yogurt works just as well and it would cut the fat content. If you would prefer to use buttermilk but don’t have it at home, you can always make it. Making a substitute for buttermilk is really easy; for a cup of milk (240ml) add 1 tbsp of lemon juice (15ml) and stir it well and let sit for 5 minutes, you can use fresh or bottled lemon juice, both work fine if you don’t have lemon juice you can use vinegar.
Another variation that works is substituting the blueberries for raspberries or blackberries, or really just any berry; I like this recipe with both blueberry and raspberry together too, that’s how versatile this recipe is. I have tried fresh strawberries and peaches too but make sure you use fresh or if using frozen, make sure not to defrost them so it doesn’t have liquid because it can weigh down the preparation and make it denser. Don’t like berries or fruit? You can substitute the fruit with chocolate chips and walnuts. If you want to infuse this just substitute the 1/2 cup of butter for 1/2 infused butter. That’s what I call versatile and why I love this recipe so much!
Ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 unsalted butter
3/4 buttermilk (I use whole buttermilk but low fat works fine)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill and works perfectly)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cup of blueberries
Turbinado or Demerara sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Spray generously with non-stick spray or line the muffin or cupcake pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar, then add the eggs and stir well to combine completely.
Add buttermilk and vanilla, still until evenly combined.
Add the dry ingredients; baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour; stir until just combined (you don’t want to overwork it once you add the flour, you will get a tough product)
Gently fold in the berries so they don’t break.
Scoop the batter into the pan and let it sit for a few minutes. Approx 10-15 minutes. If making a loaf spread it evenly in the pan.
Sprinkle the top with Turbinado sugar and maybe put another blueberry on top to garnish.
For cupcakes or mini muffins: Bake for 5 minutes at 425F, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can use the touch method, if they spring back a little in the center when touched, they are done. Let cool down for about 5 minutes before getting them out of the pan.
For the loaf: Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can use the touch method if it springs back a little in the center when touched, is done. Make sure is cooled completely before unmolding or else it can be difficult to unmold and it can break.